Crashing Waves
by DancingIsLikeFlying
Summary: "A tragedy is a representation of an action that is whole and complete and of a certain magnitude. A whole is what has a beginning and middle and end". A tragedy in the Lyell Centre has unknown repercussions for the team.
1. Chapter 1

"_A tragedy is a representation of an action that is whole and complete and of a certain magnitude. A whole is what has a beginning and middle and end"._ - _Aristotle_

"_Nikki!"_

Kneeling next to her body, he pulled her shoulders into his arms, as the pain of losing his best friend ensued inside of him_. "Nikki, its Harry…stay with me"._ He cradled her body in his arms, not ready to let his colleague go.

He couldn't bring himself to look at the injuries which were causing Nikki's silent agony. All he knew is that they had proved fatal. His eyes fixed on hers, both brimming with pain and tears. He watched her try to speak but hushed her words, trying to savour every last moment he had with her. Their eyes shared every word that their hearts yearned to say but still Harry whispered "_Please Nikki, don't leave me…I need you._" He held her closer, hoping that the beat of his heart would somehow rekindle hers. But it was too late.

"Harry?"

His heart jumped a little in his chest. _Not again._ Harry suddenly felt the warmth of the bed clothes around him, as he sank deeper into his bed. Since Hungary, Harry was grateful that he hadn't been reminded with flashbacks of his ordeal; but instead his nightmares were shrouded with the despair of his companion. Waking up, dreaming of Nikki's slim frame cradled in his arms, her life slipping away. The scenario was always slightly different, but always came to the same conclusion. One that Harry never wanted to experience in reality.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone, so this is going to be my first attempt at a major multi chapter story. Please bare with me. Reviews will be appreciated and will encourage the writing process. I didn't want to introduce it on the first chapter, I wanted to publish it as it was. I hope you enjoy it. As always Silent Witness belongs the BBC. **

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><p>The familiar feminine voice echoed from the answer machine in the lounge, "Harry?"<p>

'_Of course it was going to be her' _he thought.

Moments later, his mobile phone began ringing next to his head. He picked it up, the glow from the screen burning his retinas temporarily.

"Hi there." he croaked.

"Harry, its Nikki. Will you let me in please?" she asked, entertained by her colleague's lethargy.

"You have a key…use it?" replied Harry.

"I've… left it at home" She giggled. Harry didn't even have to see her face to know she was lying to get him up. Well, if she was going to force him out of bed, he was going to do it at his pace. Harry glanced in the mirror on his way to the door; he had to look somewhat presentable for Miss Alexander. He was wearing a slim fit tee and a pair of striped cotton bottoms, which Nikki once said he had 'stolen off an old man' but he liked them, so that was that and his hair had arranged itself so with a quick approving grin headed down the stairs.

Harry opened the door, squinting at the daylight streaming in. "Come in".

"Thanks". Nikki slid past him and bounced up the stairs. She was in a good mood, and he knew it. She leant against the kitchen worktop "Coffee?"

"Yes please" replied a slightly groggy Harry, walking up the stairs taking a seat on the dark leather couch. "May I ask what has you in such a _delightful_ mood?" In all honesty, he knew what it was.

She stayed silent for a moment, toying with the false mystery in the room surrounding her mood and once it was ready, she poured him a cup of coffee.

"Nikki…come on, out with it" he smiled knowing exactly what she was holding back.

"What?" chirped Nikki. He could see the grin building up in the corners of her sweet, rose coloured lips as she placed the coffee on the wooden table in front of him. He knew she couldn't resist.

"Happy Birthday Harry!" she exclaimed. She pulled out a small neatly wrapped gift from her bag with a card and sat next to him on the sofa. He looked at Nikki for the first time properly that day, her hair was perfect, not a blonde curl out of place, her floral print dress skimming her hips. She was beautiful. If it was anyone else, he'd have thought they were making an effort for his birthday, but Nikki always looked this good, even on an off day. His birthday was something he was trying to force to the back of his mind as he didn't enjoy it, why would anyone enjoy celebrating getting older? But Nikki did not think likewise, so there was no one else he'd rather have here.

"Thank you", he kissed her on the cheek and held her in his arms for a moment. She smelt sweet and her hair glistened in the light, her features were perfectly highlighted by the suns glorious rays and Harry noticed every detail as he often did.

"Open it!" hurried Nikki, she was aware that Leo would begin wondering where they were, but as it was his birthday, their boss would be slightly more lenient with the pair's lateness. Harry opened the card first, and read the inside.

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy Birthday_

_Lots of love,_

_Nikki xxx_

'_Nice and simple'_ thought Harry, before over analysing every word his friend had written. Her emotions hadn't ruled her mind, she hadn't reminded him of his age or that he was still single, so he was pleased, unlike his mother's failed attempts. He smiled at her and stood the card up on the table, one of only two he had received so far. All things aside, he was glad his best friend was here to share and make jokes on his birthday, it made it bearable, she made any chore bearable and his birthday had most definitely become a chore over recent years; a brief reminder of the world's disappointment in his inability to hold onto a stable relationship, or rather his own disappointment. What would he have to show for his life if it ended right now? Harry threw the thought aside, knowing it was silly but it still resided at the back of his mind.

He moved on to the gift, which he peeled open to find a small envelope and another box and looked up at Nikki for her advice.

"The box first." She smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to everyone for reviewing, it spurs me on to write more and cheers me up during exams. I'm currently writing a couple of chapters ahead of what I publish, and some big chapters are ones I have already written. Enjoy x**

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><p>Harry opened the box to find a set of sterling silver, designer cufflinks. Beautifully crafted, yet simple and understated; he couldn't deny the woman had taste.<p>

"They're great thanks" he smiled at her and hugged her again. But she pulled away and picked the envelope up from his lap and thrust it into his hands.

"Okay…I'll open it…another gift voucher thanks…" he joked. Nikki sharply retorted by hitting him on the shoulder, "Oww…wait a minute…" he took a sip of coffee and opened the envelope to find one ticket to a charity ball. Harry couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"Would you like to explain?" he looked intently at his colleague, trying to figure out her expression.

"It's for charity…plus I have a ticket too!" she sang. Nikki smiled at him with glee, excited about the prospect of going to a ball. She'd got him the cufflinks as a genuine birthday present but she knew Harry would realise that the ticket was really a gift to herself. She didn't want to attend the ball alone. "Please say you'll come?" asked Nikki.

Harry put the ticket down on the table and ran his fingers through his hair, looking at Nikki with an amused expression, as she waited for his response. He milked his moment of pause for all it was worth and replied, "I suppose it is for charity, and I haven't been out to a nice do in a while…best go and find out my glad rags."

"I knew you'd come round to the idea…although it took less convincing than I was expecting…are you going soft on me Harry Cunningham?". Nikki threw her arms around him.

"Yes, because I love you." sighed Harry. It came out more sincere than the pair were expecting but Nikki appreciated it and tightened their embrace. Neither of them were overanalysing the words passing between their lips.

"Aww, how sweet…getting older must have made you hormonal and emotional..." she giggled "I love you too Harry …. Just so you know." Although he didn't see it, an uncontrollable smile lit up her face allowing her lips to part slightly, and her heart to flutter involuntarily. The sentimentality of the moment had overwhelmed the two of them but after a few seconds holding one another, they started to laugh.

"Leo will be wondering where we've got to." Nikki reminded Harry, breaking their embrace. "Go on and get dressed…we've got a homicide and a suspected suicide waiting for us today".

"Ooh, fun!" exclaimed Harry sarcastically as he jumped up with a morbid enthusiasm, causing Nikki to chuckle. "I think the ageing process is doing something strange to my mind" he muttered worryingly. She replied simply with a smile.

Harry headed for his bedroom, pausing briefly for a moment to kiss her softly on the head, and then exited into his room. Another thank you, she presumed. Nikki sighed as she sank a little deeper into the couch, and her thoughts drifted towards Harry. He was getting older, and so was she, they couldn't deny it. Hungary had forced her to re-evaluate their relationship. Admittedly, she wasn't a withered old prune yet, but she yearned for the intimacy of a trusting relationship, the kind she already had with her colleague. They could have easily labelled each other as their other half, and no-one would have batted an eyelid. Nikki loved the way she felt when she was with Harry. There were times when he irritated her beyond belief and she did the same to him. But most of the time, when he was in the room with her, she felt warm and comforted. She felt safe.

Dr Alexander picked up the card from Harry's mum on the table,

_My Dearest Harry, _

_Happy Birthday Darling!_

_Remember, you're not getting any younger. _

_Love,_

_Mum xxx_

She smiled to herself. Even Harry's mum was aware of the ephemerality of time. She returned the card to its original position and toyed with her fingers a little while trying not to think of anything in particular; allowing her thoughts to wander from Harry.

Eventually, he'd finished getting ready and emerged from his room. She stifled a giggle at his attempt to make an effort for his birthday, putting on a nice shirt. He grabbed his black jacket from the back of one of the dining chairs and headed towards the front door. Nikki followed, her dress swaying a little as she walked.

"Shall I drive?" she asked.

"Sure."

She laughed, knowing he didn't like her driving style, as they closed the door behind them and walked towards her car.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks again for the lovely reviews and the story subscriptions, it's a huge boost in terms of writing, knowing you all want to read more, so reviews are very much welcomed. Anyway, this chapter is perhaps a little slow and short but I thought it was a nice little scene between them all. It does get a bit more exciting and dramatic, just keeping you hanging on =D xxx**

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><p>As the pair walked into the pathology department at the Lyell Centre, Leo was already there waiting in his office. Traffic had been surprisingly non-existent that morning to the pair's fortune, however they had left Harry's flat sometime after rush hour. Hearing the click of Nikki's heels, Leo jumped up and walked out of his office,<p>

"Ah, Harry, Happy Birthday!" he said opting for a handshake, followed by a hug.

"Thanks Leo" replied Harry.

"Did Nikki give you your present?…Janet and I are quite looking forward to it" smiled Leo. Harry's gaze swopped around to meet Dr Alexander's eyes as she simply shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. Leo noticed "Oh, she didn't tell you we were coming too…". He shot a quick glance at Nikki.

"It's fine…to be honest, I can think of nothing better than going out with you all this evening…but I presume that there is plenty to be getting on with before that?", there was a hint of irony that tainted his otherwise contented tone but his ambition to get on with his work seemed genuine.

"Indeed there is, Zak is prepping a body right now, 38 year old male, suspected suicide…" explained Leo. Harry interrupted before he could go any further.

"You know I think I might leave that one to you later, anything else?" he said as he sat down at his desk and typed his password into the computer.

"There's a homicide case but there's been a few complications so it's on hold. Paperwork?" chuckled Leo.

"Actually I think…" Harry responded, bouncing up from his seat again and walking towards the locker room to change.

"I think you will too…Nikki can I speak to you in my office for a moment, please?"

"Yes you may." beamed Nikki, throwing an intrigued look towards Harry. The blonde pathologist followed Leo into his office and closed the door behind him as Harry went to get changed.

Leo leant on his desk, folded his arms and looked at Nikki.

"Is everything alright with Harry? He seems a bit…" said Leo.

"Yes…I think so, come on Leo, it is his birthday after all. Harry doesn't enjoy getting a year older, never mind being reminded of it, and well… his mother doesn't make it any easier on him." she replied, the message his mum had written playing on her mind.

"Do you think we should cancel tonight?" asked Leo.

"No…I think it'll do him some good…" exclaimed his colleague. Nikki was adamant that tonight would be good for him; it was an opportunity for him to enjoy himself and forget the world for once, without the consequences of waking up with a hangover and girl in his bed who he can't remember the name of. Okay, so the bit about the hangover was probably still true but she was looking forward to tonight even if he wasn't.

"Okay, fine…Well, me and Janet will be getting a cab, and we'll meet you there?" Leo suggested.

"Harry will drop in at mine at around 8ish, so we'll make our way there together. I should get some work done anyway…do you mind if I.."

"…leave early?...of course, your free to go when everything's done, I understand how long it takes you ladies to get ready" replied her boss.

"Thanks Leo, I'll get these reports written up now and there's the homicide PM to do later." She answered.

"About that, something's come up, and I've been told to hold off on the PM, no clear explanation, something about the family? Anyway I'm leaving it for now."

"Okay, well I'll get on with this stuff then." She picked up a few files from Leo's desk.

Her heels clicked on the floor as she made her way towards the door, and onwards towards Harry's desk. She'd much rather complete the reports there, with the faint scent of his aftershave from the jacket that lay across the back of his chair. She leant back a little to appreciate it longer before starting her work.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone, apologies for the short delay in getting this next chapter out to you. Once again, Thank you, I really appreciate your reviews and story subscriptions, and as long as you still want more it will keep coming. Thanks and take care x**

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><p>As the words on the screen began to turn hazy, Nikki noticed that Leo was acting a little odd this afternoon. Since the halted PM, he'd been back and forth between his office and the mortuary, with his phone glued to his ear most of the time. Admittedly, Leo made a habit of making himself busy but he was clearly agitated. She watched as he paced across the room one last time and closed his door firmly behind him.<p>

Sitting in his office, Leo's frenzied mind searched for an answer but he kept coming up blank. There was nothing he could do. The events in Hungary had challenged any concept he already had of trust, and this was just one of the moments where every instinct told him something was wrong. If he'd have spoken to someone, he'd accept this was just an average occurrence. No one was giving him answers, no word from the family, and nothing from the police. Leo's relationship with the police had never been tightly bound but there was a mutual respect. However, watching the corruption in Hungary almost steal away a colleague meant his bond with any form of authority was on shaky ground. He knew in his mind that Britain and Hungary were two worlds apart when it came to procedure but the events allowed suspicion to creep into his mind all too easily these days. Harry's incident had affected the hearts of all three pathologists. But their individual knowledge of the extent of this remained unspoken.

The body of young Sarah Barrett had come in during the early hours of that morning and Leo hadn't wanted to wake up Harry early on his birthday or Nikki as she'd been up the day before on call, but he was beyond a state of tiredness struggling to sleep recently, the image and smell of a burning body still lingering in his mind. So with the initial forensic photos taken and a brief look at the body at the scene of the crime, he was left with nothing to do but let Zak put the body in the mortuary, so that the PM would be done a few hours later when someone else was in the lab. Unfortunately, Leo's plan was interrupted by a message left by the police when he got there in the morning. The vagueness of the message was irritating, but as soon as he heard the word 'family', he knew he was fighting a losing battle and more importantly he could identify.

He continued his efforts. There was nothing. Each time he asked for the police officer covering the case he was told he was on call but he couldn't get in contact with the family either. The concern had begun to encroach on pure frustration but he couldn't allow it to get him.

Nikki had finished writing up the report before she decided that watching Harry would be more fun. The closed blinds and door to Leo's office meant he didn't want to be disturbed, so she slipped out of the office and walked towards the conference room.

The room was in pristine condition, papers filed away and all was quiet and still. The great glass expanse that looked down into the cutting room framed the pathologist and the dead body, as she look down towards Harry and turned the intercom on. Harry continued to mumble away before making declarative statements about the body lying before him. He was about half way through the Post Mortem when Nikki began watching; she was highly entertained by the fact that the he had noticed her yet.

"The 38 year old male's liver has deteriorated from damage caused by alcohol and as yet unidentified toxins in his blood stream. The bloods have been sent to toxicology awaiting further analysis. The liver has suffered significant damage over a long period of time, possibly a casual binge drinker, and shows signs of second stages of liver disease…moving on to the stomach…" he paused momentarily.

Harry sliced open the stomach to find the walls of it severely eroded with a fine white residue lining the interior wall, a few pills remained which the body hadn't digested yet. There was no doubt about what conclusion he could draw from the quantities of evidence before him.

"Well Mr Cunningham, what does this tell us?" asked the blonde pathologist.

"Somebody had clearly had enough. It's a shame Niks…How does a person make that choice? I can't understand it…to know what it feels like to be so close to death, and then…" He took a seat quickly as his legs began to feel weak. "I can't even begin to understand how low a person must feel to choose that".

"I don't think anyone can unless you're feeling it. Don't get any ideas to try and find out okay?" she said with a small furrow in the centre of her brow.

Harry turned towards the conference room, and saluted Nikki. "I won't…besides, I've got a ball to go to and so have you!" he shrugged of the seriousness and smiled. "I'll pick you up around 8ish", he sighed, stood up and returned to the stomach he had in hands moment before whilst Nikki returned to the office to write her reports. She had every hope that this afternoon, the minutes would fly by like seconds.


	6. Chapter 6

**It's been a long time, this is the final chapter before the ball, sorry to keep you all waiting, but I though this chapter was a nice addition. It's all been a bit fluffy really up till now, but it's not all going to be that way. So keep reading. I really love getting reviews, so please do. Thanks again for reading. x**

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><p>For Nikki Alexander, it had been a long time since Prince Charming had swept her off her feet. In fact it had been many years, from that first instance, when he walked in on her using the lab's software. Okay, so he wasn't exactly the perfect Prince Charming, but tonight she was going to a ball and when she looked closer at the facts, Nikki Alexander realised he was the Prince she wanted in her life, in the modern sense of the word. He was a gentleman, a little rough around the edges but she knew his heart was in the right place. She didn't crave glass slippers, ball gowns or grandeur, she just knew that Harry was a good man, and that the intimacy she had with Harry was unlike that she had with any other person. Their relationship was comparable to none. That evening she had every intention of letting him know how she felt, and telling him what he meant to her.<p>

She'd managed to slip away from work around 3ish, leaving Harry and Leo with the graveyard shift so she could get ready, though it was now nearly 7pm and she had only just finished in the shower. Luckily she knew what she was wearing, a dress she'd had for a while but didn't have an occasion to wear it. She didn't realise it had been waiting for this one.

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><p>Harry opened the small satin lined box that lay on his desk, and stared awhile at what lay inside. For a moment he stared past the sterling silver cuff links, instead seeing the woman who had bought them. He couldn't explain it, but this birthday felt different to those before, Nikki's gift, the tickets, he realised just how much he was loved and respected. He had friends who cared about him and really knew him. Nikki had known he didn't want to be alone tonight; he didn't want it to be all about him either. Harry wanted to go out and enjoy himself and forget what he was doing at work the next day, or what was going on in the news. She knew him so well and he loved that about her.<p>

Leo and Janet had given him a bottle of whiskey as a birthday present along with some of his favourite aftershave, before giving him a lift home. He admitted that Nikki had given him a few pointers on what to buy him but he was thankful none the less. He dabbed on a little aftershave, and picked up Nikki's gift. After a little bit of fiddling around with the cuff links, he admired them as they glistened in the slowly setting sun and proceeded over to his wardrobe where Harry picked up his bow tie and began to tie it, shuffling over to the mirror to adjust it. Lastly, he returned to the wardrobe where his tuxedo Jacket hung, sliding his fingers down the side of the lapel, before taking it out of the wardrobe and putting it on.

Harry stood in front of the mirror, with a full length view of his attire.

"_James bond eat your heart out_" he thought, before mentally laughing at himself. "_Who am I kidding?"_ Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he headed downstairs to his car.

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><p>He made it over to Nikki's relatively unscathed by the traffic, and as he pulled up outside her apartment building, his stomach fluttered unexpectedly. He wasn't sure whether it was with nerves or excitement about the evening to come, but something told him he wasn't going to forget tonight. Looking into his rear view mirror, he ran his fingers through his hair and straightened his tie before getting out of the car and crossing the road to her apartment building.<p>

Someone was just leaving so with a skip in his step, he managed to catch the door before it closed. He climbed the stairs fairly quickly to her first floor flat, deciding to knock rather than use the key behind the statue. Last time he used that key, he opened the door to find her lying serenely on the couch, but he didn't need it this time. He knocked sharply 3 times,

"Nikki?"

"Hi." She answered the door, still in her dressing gown, but with her hair pinned up in soft curls at the nape of her neck. He kissed her on the cheek.

"I shouldn't be so surprised that you're not ready yet" he laughed.

"I'll be two seconds", she hurried into her bedroom closing the door behind her as Harry took a seat on the sofa. The anticipation of seeing her dressed up fluttered in his stomach and it wasn't long before his anticipation was satisfied. She opened the bedroom door to reveal a long ruby red satin gown, very simple, whilst having enough sparkle to add something special. But it wasn't the dress that made Harry blush; it was how stunning she looked in it.

"How do I look?"

"You look beautiful Niks, just…stunning" Harry was left dumbfounded at the sight of her slender body draped with the satin gown.

Her cheeks blushed slightly, "Thank you."

"Ready to go?"

She nodded and smiled in response.

"You're carriage awaits."


	7. Chapter 7

**So, this is the bit a few of you have been waiting for. It's time for the ball. I really hope you enjoy it. I've tended to focus less on the grandeur of the ball in this chapter and more the relationship between Harry and Nikki. That's just how I write. Thanks again for your reviews, especially those of you who are reviewing every chapter. Enjoy x**

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><p>The venue was suitable considering the grand affair of the evening to come; a stately home set in beautiful grounds, and as the taxi approached the building the pair looked at one another.<p>

"Thanks for coming." Said Nikki.

"I'm not inside yet. The whole evening could be a disaster, and it would in fact be your fault…But in all seriousness…Thanks for asking." He replied. "You know me better than I know myself sometimes."

"Come on let's get inside, I hope you've got your dancing shoes on, birthday boy."

"Did I not tell you I had two left feet?" He smiled as he watched her face light up in amusement. He got out of the taxi first, turning back to Nikki offering her his hand as she gracefully floated to her feet. He closed the taxi door before offering her his arm and as she took it, they walked into the grand entrance.

As they entered the ballroom, a silence fell among them. For an evening, reality was a distant echo. She looked up at him and whispered "Happy Birthday" once more and his eyes met hers. The room was regal and majestic with a large dance floor at the heart of it. Tables were positioned around it and on one such table Harry spotted Leo and Janet. Nikki and Harry joined them at the table after getting a drink at the bar,

"Happy Birthday" said Janet across the table.

"Thank you…and thank you for the gifts, I'm sure they'll come in useful. But anyway enough talk of gifts and birthdays, let's just enjoy ourselves. " Nikki noted his attempt to change the subject. Eventually, there'd come a time, when he won't want to forget his birthday.

...

The evening was in full swing, and after letting a few dances slip by, Harry finally took the opportunity to ask his 'date' this evening for a dance.

"Would you like to dance Miss Alexander?" he offered out a hand which she gladly accepted.

"I certainly would Mr Cunningham." She elegantly rose to her feet and they started towards the dance floor. After choosing a spot to start, Harry raised the hand with Nikki's already in it and faced her, placing his other hand on her waist loosely. She narrowed the gap between them raising her left hand on his shoulder. As the music started he began to sway softly before breathing in deeply, and as he exhaled they began to dance. For a few moments, their eyes escaped one another's, unsure whether it would make them giggle in the seriousness of it all, or just afraid of blushing, but eventually their eyes met. Nikki smiled to herself at the ability of her dance partner.

"Harry Cunningham you surprise me."

"What?" he questions with a faked look of confusion on his face.

"The dancing…"

"Well…might have had a few lessons when I was younger, a way of tempting the ladies back at medical school but nothing really" He twirled her under her arm as the guests spectating watched her dress float upwards as she spun. The couple continued to glide effortlessly across the floor. Harry ensured they weren't going to bump it anyone, but took the time to take in the sight of his breath taking companion.

He leant forward slightly to whisper in her ear,

"You look beautiful tonight…did I already say that?" his breath brushed past her ear.

"Yes you did, but I appreciate you saying it again" her cheeks blushed slightly.

A silence washed over the room as the few couples on the dance floor continued to dance. Nikki had many things she wanted to say to her dance partner, but couldn't find the right words to say it. When she did, it seemed her voice had evacuated the building, as it waivered nervously.

"You do know how much you mean to me, don't you Harry?"

"Erm.."

"You know that I respect you and love you very much and I couldn't imagine what work would be like without you" She bit her lip. Not quite the tone she was going for, the friendly work colleague. She tried again.

"What I mean is…."

"Come on Nikki out with it."

She bottled it. Words escaped her once more. It was like someone had surgically removed her vocal chords. There was nothing except,

"Never mind."

The song winded down as Harry twirled her under his arm for a final time. He placed his arm around her shoulders as she laid her arm around his waist and they walked off the floor together, not before Harry kissed her on the top of her head.

"Thank you, Mr Cunningham"

"My pleasure, any time you need a Prince Charming to dance with, you know where I am." The pair laughed as they reached their table. Nikki's attempt to tell Harry that he was the sweet, compassionate prince she wanted had inadvertently failed, with only her disappearing courage to blame. She felt like she was 16 again.

"Now it's our turn" said Leo.

"That was beautiful to watch" said Janet in response to Harry and Nikki's dance which was charged with more heartfelt intimacy then anyone could fathom.

Leo and Janet decided to go for a waltz together. They watched for a moment before Harry laid his hand on top of Nikki's.


	8. Chapter 8

**So, it's been a really long time since I updated, but I hope that you enjoy this. I have a few chapters that were written ages ago when I was first inspired to write this fiction, so as long as I can the intermediate chapters done then there should be a quicker stream of updates. Thanks for the reviews, please continue to write them as it's really nice to read you responses. And I'll write more soon. Enjoy x**

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><p>Nikki glanced at her hand and then at the man who was holding it.<p>

"What I was trying to say earlier is that I care about you."

"I know." Harry looked deep into her eyes, and she felt as though in that moment there was nowhere to escape. She hadn't said half things she wanted to tell Harry tonight but before she could take another breath, Harry leaned in closer and pressed his lips to hers. He gently took her face in his hands, before pulling Nikki in closer. Her lips parted before she took a moment for breath.

Harry continued to hold her with a new intensity. A smile broke out onto his lips, but the pathologists were both lost for words as they just stared at one another. Eventually, they gave up trying to speak and his hand moved from her waist to her face once more, allowing his thumb to softly caress her cheekbone, before she leaned in to kiss him. They had never spoken of a desire for this intimacy, in fact the very thought of it made them laugh every time Leo or their parents would even come close to suggesting it. Weird would have been an understatement. However, every second of this moment felt completely natural to them, and filled Harry and Nikki with a sense of comfort they had never experienced before.

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><p>Leo and Janet looked towards the table where they had left the two friends sitting, only mildly surprised at what they saw.<p>

"Can't say I'm surprised." Whispered Janet.

"No. Not at all." Smiled Leo.

"How about another dance…we could give them a bit more privacy"

"Of course" he looked at her in a way that he hadn't for a while. His eyes spoke of love and honesty. His squeezed Janet's hand gently, smiled and continued to shuffle along the dance floor.

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><p>Nikki pulled away from this embrace, not out of discomfort but for assurance. What was this?<p>

"Right…." She was speechless and breathless.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. I've wanted to do that since I first saw you in your flat this evening."

"Oh right", her eyes were wide, as the surprise of his statement spread across Nikki's face.

"Tonight every impulse was telling me to kiss you. I've wanted to do that for a very long time…I've never felt the same way I feel about you, about anyone else. I know I thought I had something with Anna, but with you it's different. The kind of different I've wanted to find. I just didn't realise it was right in front of me." It felt awkward and strange to talk about Anna but the words Harry spoke were every inch the truth. He didn't mean to get Anna tangled up in this.

Nikki couldn't believe what she was hearing. The night she was going to tell Harry. Nikki had that feeling again in her throat, the one that stopped her from talking. Here was a moment when she could say what she wanted to say to Harry earlier but again she froze, somewhat surprised and unsure.

"It would be great if you could say something?". Harry wasn't sure it was a mutual feeling before he kissed her, but was encouraged when she had started to kiss him back. But the absence of an answer began to worry him.

"Sorry…it's just….I thought this would feel weirder." She smiled.

The once friends, now more than, searched each other's expressions before bursting out into laughter.

"Sssh…we have company" chuckled Nikki.

Leo and Janet made their way over to the table. They said nothing but their expressions told Harry and Nikki that they were aware of what had just gone on between them.

Nikki's cheeks blushed a rosy pink, but Harry took hold of her hand ensuring her that this is what he wanted. She squeezed tightly in agreement.

"Enjoying your birthday?" enquired Leo.

"Very much so." replied a contented Harry. He knew that Leo was happy to see the life fill his cheeks once again on his birthday and Nikki was the same.

"Nikki, I'm going to go and freshen up…" said Janet.

"Of course, I'll be right behind you" she said getting up from her seat. Harry pressed his lips to her hand softly before she left.

"What is it about girl's going to the toilet in pairs?" They spoke simultaneously, and chuckled at themselves.

Leo continued, "I think it's an age old mystery that women will never enlighten men on."

They both knew Nikki was not the type to kiss and tell but that Janet wouldn't be able to resist asking a few questions about what had just happened.

"So, I guess you're not going to forget this birthday in a while?" enquired Leo.

"Not at all…it's funny we both said we thought it would feel strange. They say that you can be friends with someone and that you can get too close for anything like this ever to happen." answered Harry.

"People just don't want to ruin friendships that are dear to them. It's fear more than anything. As human's we don't want to take the risk of losing someone that special. Sometimes I think we're too sentimental, and then other times I think we're just too scared. I'm glad you took a leap of faith, Harry. You deserve happiness." Leo smiled at the young man and patted him on the shoulder affectionately.

"Thank you, Leo." said Harry.

"Most people fall in love with someone and they become friends afterwards. You already have the basis of a strong friendship, no matter what, don't let that go." Leo knew what he had just said bordered on the 'too sentimental' but he moved on.

"Another drink, sir?" said Harry.

"Why, thank you very much." replied Leo.

The colleagues smiled at one another before Harry headed to the bar.


	9. Chapter 9

I'm aware that these chapters are coming very slowly, I promise you there are more exciting chapters to come, many of them I've had written for a while, I just wasn't happy with the intermediate chapters. Please continue reading and reviewing, it's nice to think people actually like reading my work. (The reason for my title will eventually become apparent) Anyway keep faithful, it's gets better. x

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><p>Nikki and Janet entered the ladies restroom to find decorative gilded mirror frames and drapes hanging everywhere. Nikki waited for Janet to say something, but her hope was in vain. She needed to know how much Janet had seen.<p>

"You noticed then." said Nikki shyly.

"We were dancing and just happened to glance over when you were kissing" answered Janet.

"Oh right" giggled Nikki. "I'm sure it was as much as a surprise for you as it was for me", she continued.

"Not really. Yours and Harry's friendship was never going to be just a friendship. You care too much for one another. We knew…well, we'd hoped that you two would always become more than that."

"Ah I see…" Nikki responded coyly with a knowing smile.

The moment was interrupted when her phone rang. The display read 'Work', meaning the reception desk in particular – a call out. Her heart sank a little knowing that her evening of glamour had come to end. But more importantly that she would have to leave Harry on his birthday. She didn't want to give him the wrong impression, kissing him then running off.

She tried to call the office, the phone rang 5 or 6 times before someone picked up, but the line wasn't good, and she couldn't hear anyone on the other line. Nikki tried again, but all she could hear was the person's deep breathing on the other end of the line. There had been five or six missed calls on her mobile, so she came to the decision, that been as the office was only a short drive away and she was on call tonight, she would pop in to make sure everything was okay.

Janet noticed her silence "Everything okay?"

"Janet, can you tell the boys I've just popped back to the office, they've been trying to contact me but the phone line's bad. If it's not a call out I'll be less than half an hour. And tell the birthday boy I want another dance when I get back!" Nikki laughed as Janet smiled at her.

"Are you sure you don't want one of us to come with you?"

"I'll be fine, I don't want to ruin the rest of your night, I knew that I'd probably get called out. All the times I'm sat at home sleeping or not doing much, I don't get a call out, but on a night like tonight, I had a feeling I would; just bad luck. I shouldn't be long, it may be nothing. I'll let you know if I won't be back once I've managed to get back to the office. Otherwise I'll be back asap." Nikki smiled, trying to cover up the dismay she felt at having to leave, but failed. Janet saw the mild disappointment in her eyes.

The ladies washed their hands and then left the bathroom, heading into the entrance hall.

"I'm sure Leo wouldn't mind, if you wanted to stay?"

"No, he was on call last night, it wouldn't be fair. I'll be fine. Just make sure that Harry enjoys himself, okay?"

"As long as you're sure, see you soon" The pair went in opposite directions as Nikki managed to hail a taxi dropping off another guest.

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><p>Janet returned to the table, Nikki's absence attracting Harry's attention.<p>

"She's gone back to the office…" Harry didn't let her finish

"What? Why?" there was something childlike in his response but he kept his composure.

"She's on call tonight Harry"

"Oh…I thought it was…" His mind began whirring, trying to imagine the on call Rota in front of him, "it's meant to be me isn't it? I mean it's my turn."

"She didn't want a call out to ruin your birthday; she wanted you to enjoy yourself, so she took on an extra night shift last minute, although she wasn't quite expecting the turn of events this evening" Leo smiled at Harry, provoking him to smile too. Nikki had willingly sacrificed her evening so as not to ruin his. Earlier this morning when she woke him, to wish him a Happy Birthday, he wouldn't have minded being on call tonight, another birthday would pass, and he would have felt all the better having not had to withstand the onslaught of birthday merriment. But the moment he laid eyes on her in the red satin gown, and danced with her, he wanted to remember this night.

"She couldn't get through to anyone in the office, bad signal I think, so she's just popped in to see if everything's okay. She'll probably be back in 20 minutes. She demanded another dance from you when she returns." Janet added.

"She's too nice for her own good sometimes" said Harry. Nikki was a compassionate person, often thinking of others before herself, but Harry couldn't help feeling that he wanted her there with him, hand in hand, with that warmth coursing through his veins. The warmth that only she gave him.

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><p>As she sat in the taxi, the grand building fading into the background behind the trees, she thought of this morning and Harry's desire to let another birthday slip by unnoticed. Perhaps this is the kind of birthday he needed to change his mind? She knew that she had gotten the greatest gift she could of asked for this evening, and she hoped that he felt the same way. The world flashed by as she felt the fantasy fade and the reality return.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

**So, I've been busy with some final year work for Uni for the past 6 weeks, so I've had little time for writing. Here's another chapter... Thanks again for your reviews and lovely comments. Keep reading :) Special thanks to those select few who have been avidly reading and continually reviewing. I'm glad you're enjoying it. x **

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><p>When Nikki arrived at the Thomas Lyell Centre, the receptionist had gone. The office lights were on, so she headed towards her desk. The bottom drawer was slightly ajar. She laid her sequined clutch down on the desk and looked through the drawer; nothing missing.<p>

As she looked up, the glare from the corridor light leading to the mortuary caught her eye, so she walked over, only to find that an unusual rustling noise was coming from the cutting room. It seemed strange for Zak to be in this late, the student interns would be out partying the night away, and the other 2 pathologists, she had just left celebrating Harry's birthday. Her heels clicked on the floor, echoing through the empty corridor.

Dr. Alexander entered the mortuary and seeing a compartment door left open, walked over to it, the label read 'Sarah Barrett (Uncomplete)'. The young girl had been brought in during the early hours of the morning, only for the PM to have been halted; this was the case that had been giving Leo grief all morning. She crept slowly towards the doors of the post mortem room, and pushed the door open gently. She peered through. Instinct told her to run, as fast as she could out of there. But she couldn't leave it; there was no-one else here. She scanned the room for any signs of life and saw the body of the young girl lying on one of the slabs. The poor girl's body hauled from its temporary resting place.

Sorrow shrouded Nikki and her decisions as she decided to cover up the body. Nikki couldn't help being human.

She heard breathing. Not hers. She twisted around to see what was there. Her heart skipped a bit when she realised the mistake she had made in coming here. Her breathing became uncontrollable within seconds. Suddenly pulled from behind, her breath escaped her as a vice like grip took hold of her, turning her around and pushing her up against the wall.

She felt his breath on her face as he held her there, her neck clamped in his grasp, her vision beginning to blur. She tried to scream but there wasn't enough air in her lungs or power in her frail body to force it. He clamped his hand over her mouth so she couldn't try it again. She struggled against his weight, her resilience temporarily resisting him. Nikki calmed so that her attacker would give her the chance to speak. He removed his hand slowly from her mouth so he could place it around her throat once more.

"Who are you? What are you doing to her?" stuttered Nikki, looking over at the girl lying there motionless.

The man remained silent, focused on Nikki's eyes.

"Look, I want to help you…just tell me your name." she urged, gasping for breath.

Nikki saw the fire in his eyes rage. His mind was a chaotic mess. The thought of him harming her was the least of her worries. This man was prepared to spill blood. The tears began to stream down her face, the salty taste wetting her lips.

"Answer me this then…If you're going to hurt me anyway, surely it wouldn't hurt to tell me who you are? Please." Nikki's heart beat faster in her chest, as she thought of Harry. The thought that tonight would be it. She found comfort in the fact that she would die on good terms with all her friends. Nikki thought of screaming again, but needed to search her body for the energy. Screaming was instinctive, but she struggled to fight right now. However, the man interrupted her thoughts…

"It was an accident don't you get it? You have to tell them it was an accident…I needed to see her again, say goodbye, tell her I was sorry. But it's too late now! You see it's too late…she's dead and you're gonna file some stupid report and blame me for it. But it was an accident…but you found me here so I can't let you leave. Do you understand? Do you understand why I can't let you leave?" he punctuated every sentence with a deep breath and by tightening his grip on Nikki, pushing her harder against the wall. His breath smelt of nicotine and beer.

From somewhere, Nikki managed to muster a scream, hoping someone, anyone on the campus would hear it; a last attempt at survival. But she knew the consequences of her actions. The fire within him burned, and any rational, coherent thoughts were lost in his crazed mind.


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, I'm sorry once again this has taken so long, but I'm giving you two short(ish) chapters, so I hope you can forgive me. Once again thank you to those reviewers who review every chapter, I really appreciate your kind words which spur me on. Life as final year uni student has meant chapters have been coming slowly. Enjoy. Let me know what you think. x**

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><p>The champagne bubbled as the couples on the floor twirled. Nikki had been away for the best part of an hour now and there had been no phone call. All Harry could think about was her. He'd tried to phone her mobile, but there was no reply. Leo and Janet had continued to enjoy their evening with relative ease. Who could blame them? Certainly not Harry, but when those 20 minutes were up and Nikki hadn't returned; he struggled to continue enjoying his night. Leo and Janet broke from their conversation having noticed the change in his demeanour.<p>

"Go." Leo spoke and smiled knowingly.

"Thank you…I'll speak to you later" and with a quick smile, Harry headed to the entrance. Forced to walk to the main road to hail a taxi, it took him 20 minutes to get to somewhere remotely busy. Whoever built country manors this far from civilisation did not have party planning in mind. Eventually, He managed to grab a taxi.

"The Thomas Lyell Centre please…on the University Campus." said Harry. He waited nervously in the taxi, he wasn't sure what his plan was the next time he saw Nikki. They hadn't really had time to take it all in together and work out what this meant for them, for their working relationship, for their friendship. He just knew it hadn't felt weird, and that how he felt was true and honest and when he kissed her, it was a sudden release of everything that he had been shutting in for years. For once, he no longer felt like he was the wrong guy for Nikki, he wanted to make her happy, get married, have a family and be content. At this second he felt so passionately about this new life together, that the moment he arrived at the Lyell Centre, he knew that he had to kiss her again.

...

The shadows clung to the corners as he entered the building.

"Nikki" he whispered. "Nikki".

No reply.

He pulled his phone from his pocket, scrolling through the contacts. He tried Nikki. Nothing. He scrolled back up the list to Leo's name; perhaps he had heard from her? But a brief conversation told him there had been no contact from Nikki.

Harry came to the succinct conclusion that she had got to the office, and been sent out already, or she had gone home. There was nothing in the office to suggest otherwise until he heard something coming from what he thought could be the mortuary. Nikki hadn't left after all. A smile crept across his face at the thought of sneaking up and surprising her, of being alone with her. However, with the temptation of knowing that she wanted him now, that he could kiss her, and that he could hold her in his arms; Harry soon forgot any element of surprise. He lacked the patience now.

He found the mortuary absent of his companion, but he heard her soft voice faintly coming from the cutting room. His heart pounding in his chest, Harry walked towards the frosted glass door.


	12. Chapter 12

The assailant pushed Nikki's neck further into the wall as she floated in and out of consciousness.

Harry ran in, as her eyes began to gloss over, her body slowly being deprived of oxygen. He dragged the man off her and threw him onto the ground. Nikki slumped to the floor before Harry could return to check Nikki's breathing.

"Nikki, you're going to be okay, just breathe deeply for me and you'll be fine…" he tried to reassure her. He held her hand and looked deep into her eyes. Neither of them could have expected that the evening would end this way. It started with a kiss; he was praying it wasn't going to end in a goodbye. Harry didn't believe there was a God, but at this moment he was praying there was one to protect her when he hadn't. Harry began to panic as she began to lose consciousness. Before Harry could do any more he was grabbed from behind and thrown across the room, the pain shooting up his spine as he hit the wall. Holding Harry by the scruff of his collar, the man threw a few punches into Harry's ribs and watched him double over in pain. The man spoke to him as he looked towards Nikki.

"Come to rescue her have you? Who are you? Trying to be some sort of hero?" demanded the man.

"My name is Harry. And no, I'm not a hero. But I'm here to get her as far away from you as possible" Harry shouted.

"You've made a fatal error here Harry…you should have just left me to it. I would have killed her soon enough whereas now she's going to suffer, and watch you in pain, and then you'll feel guilty, because you've caused her pain." He said, giving Harry's ribs another sharp punch.

"Who are you?" was all Harry could muster.

"Well Harry, right now, that's not your priority, but rather what I'm going to do to you…". Nikki's head rose as she regained consciousness.

The man smiled at Harry and glancing at the glass doors that lead out of the cutting room threw him towards them and the glass cascaded around Harry's body. He was fighting a losing battle. He felt the searing pain throughout his body and he couldn't contain his overwhelming urge to scream out. He yelled in pain, begging the man to leave, and for a moment he became a child, an innocent victim caught in the crossfire. His only desire was to protect his closest friend, the one who lay on the opposite side of the room. Nikki cried out as Harry hit the floor, the tears coursing down her face, frozen with fear to the place he had left her. She cried for him. Her body became breathless, no longer controllable as her eyes began to close.

With the shards of glass scattered around his body, the man knelt over Harry. arHaHhvHarry's shoulders were pinned down by a hand crushing his sternum, whilst the man's other hand started work on his face. Harry glanced to the floor beside him the razor sharp glass inches from his assailant. The punches were the least of his problems. The blood trickled down from Harry's nose until one blow to the temple knocked him unconscious.

Harry could write his own post mortem report now. It would make it easier for Nikki and Leo, they wouldn't have to do it. Blow to the head leading to brain hemorrhage, bruising and sharp stab wounds to the chest and abdomen, probable cause of death. Harry Cunningham would have died between 11pm and 1am. There was nothing either of them could do.

The two pathologists lay unconscious as they drifted towards the darkness.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone, so here's another chapter that I know a number of you have been waiting for. Thank you too all those people who review every chapter, I'm glad you're enjoying it. It's the Easter break from Uni for the next few weeks so hopefully there will be a few more chapters depending on the workload. Enjoy! x**

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><p>Leo looked down at where his hand held Janet's, and then smiled at her. She looked at him, and searched his face for any trace of emotion. Tired was all she got.<p>

"Let's go home." Janet said, bringing her other hand to his face.

"Quite right. Let's go home." He smiled and exhaled.

Janet took Leo's arm when he offered it and they walked towards the cloakroom. After collecting his coat the young attendant called him back.

"Excuse me, I believe this jacket was the gentleman's who arrived with you this evening, will he be returning for his coat?"

It was late and there were few coats left. He asked the young gentleman in the cloakroom if he could take a look at the coat to double check, and after a quick look in the pocket, he found a train ticket from when Harry went to a conference in Edinburgh, and there clear at the bottom, in fine print, his name, Mr. H. Cunningham.

"He won't be returning this evening, we'll take it for him. Thank you." And with that they left.

Leo tried to phone Harry, to let him now that he had it and to see if everything had gone alright with the call out.

"_This is Harry Cunningham, I'm sorry I can't take your call, you know what to do_." _Beep_.

"Harry, it's Leo, you left your coat, Janet and I have it, I'll bring it in to work tomorrow. Okay, bye." Leo hung up and replaced his phone in his pocket.

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><p>As the taxi drove closer to the home that they shared, Leo and Janet exchanged a glance and he kissed her gently on the cheek. Their relationship was tentative at times. It was hard not to bring the exhaustion and stress home for both of them, but in comparison to the love that they had, it was barely a blip. Leo held her hand, as the vehicle wound round the dark streets, illuminated only briefly by the sparse street lamps.<p>

Leo's phone blared in the silent taxi. He expected to hear Harry's voice in response to the message that he left, but instead was surprised to hear the voice of a rather worried police detective.

"Hello"

"_Is that Professor Dalton?"_

"Yes…I'm Leo Dalton, can I help you?"

"_My name is Detective Griffiths and I was calling you regarding needing a pathologist to examine a crime scene"_

"There is a pathologist on call, if you'd like to contact the Thomas Lyell Centre, someone should be available"

"_I'm sorry to contact you personally Professor Dalton, at such a late hour, but I phoned your Pathology Department a few hours ago requesting a pathologist, but as of yet I haven't had anyone report to me. In fact, I've been ringing the department for the past hour without any response, and another detective suggested I contacted you directly." _

"Oh" Leo paused briefly, concerned as to why Nikki hadn't got the call out. "Unfortunately I have attended an event this evening and it would be inappropriate for me to examine a crime scene and I'm afraid my fatigue may interfere with my judgment. You could try…"

He paused. The taxi was within a mile or two of the Lyell Centre. Leo couldn't resist.

"Never mind, I'm not far from the centre and will make my way there now and will send one of my colleagues."

"_Thank you, Professor Dalton. Sorry for the inconvenience."_

"No, I'm sorry for the delay we are causing. I'm sure there will be a perfectly good explanation for this when I get there. Goodbye" The call disconnected and he looked at Janet.

"I'm so sorry, but I really need t….."

"It's fine, go. Something is clearly wrong, and you wouldn't sleep anyway." Janet knew Leo very well and he needn't have said anything. She was right, if he had have gone home, he wouldn't have slept, creating countless scenario's to explain why Nikki wasn't at the call out, and most of them would not have been positive.

"Can we go to the Thomas Lyell Centre please, on the Campus?" said Janet.

The taxi indicated, and headed back towards the office.

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><p>Within 10 minutes they had arrived, and they walked into the silent building in search of anyone. Leo headed towards his office, illuminating the building as he went along and Janet followed closely behind him. He checked his office momentarily, no sign of a note or any attempt of communication from Nikki or Harry, apart from the flashing red fascia on his answer machine.<p>

As he began to check through them for a message from his friends, Janet headed towards the conference room. She knew the building well even though her work did not bring her here all that often. Turning the lights on, she found it bare, clean and ordered as Leo liked it to be left. She stared out upon the dark expanse of the PM room unable to see anything, and moved back towards the door until a sparkle caught her eye; a glimmer of light in the darkness, a glimmer of hope for the pathologists who lay there. The emergency fire exit light reflected in a piece of jewellery, would be their saving grace, although no-one knew it yet. Janet's eyes adjusted to the light until she could see the outlines of two people in the room, lying on the floor, frozen.

"LEO!" she shouted and ran towards the cutting room. As he heard her he followed.

"It's Nikki and Harry, they're here, in the cutting room" she said breathless. Not another word passed between their lips, their minds thought of the worst. Leo was uncharacteristically energetic to say it was so late.

As he entered the mortuary he came to a halt, he looked down to find Harry's body lying motionless, the glass doors shattered into thousands of pieces around his body. His heart sank as he felt a great weight hit him in the chest, and his feet locked to the place where he stood. After a sharp intake of breath, Leo strode over to Harry's body and crumpled to his knees. A pulse. It was weak but Harry was still alive. His body was bruised, littered with glass wounds, and he clearly had some internal damage but Leo hung on to that fact that he was breathing.

"Leo?" said a soft, barely audible voice.

He gazed through where the doors would have been to see Nikki slumped against the wall, her body draped in her crimson dress. She was conscious. He looked up at Janet who had already started walking over to her. Leo wanted to comfort Nikki, but Harry's body lay there and he needed to make sure he stayed alive. He knew Nikki would forgive him this moment.

Janet saw that she was conscious, and reassured her whilst phoning an ambulance. When she put the phone down, she checked whether Nikki was seriously damaged.

"Nikki, everything's going to be alright. An ambulance is on its way, your safe now." Janet put her arm around Nikki's shoulders and she clung to her, her eyes never moving from where Harry's body lay.

"She's going to be fine, Leo. How's Harry?" her tentative voice hung in the air.

"I don't know….I can't tell…but he's in a bad way." He paused to gaze over Harry's body searching for any indication of what was going on internally but he would know nothing until he got Harry to the hospital. "I just don't know." He said apprehensively. Janet saw the fear in his eyes and she couldn't help but feel it too. Only time would tell.

Harry and Nikki had been found but their attacker had vanished.


	14. Chapter 14

**This has been too long coming I know. But I hope it's worth it. Thanks for all my avid reviewers, you know who you are. Enjoy. x **

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><p>The fluorescent lights, the crisp white bed linen, the scent of disinfectant; he woke up to the world around him unaware of the changes that had taken place within it.<p>

"Harry?"

Harry saw Leo's face come into view and the room around him began to make sense. He was in the hospital. Leo began to explain his injuries but he closed his eyes, as Leo's voice drifted further away.

He saw the man glaring down at him, the fear reflected in his anger; he saw Nikki's body slumped on the floor. He had no idea who the man was, or what he wanted with Nikki. Why was she always the innocent victim? It seemed that the world wanted to rid itself of Nikki Alexander, but Harry knew he would protect her to the ends of the earth. He would die for her. No questions asked.

"Harry?" Leo's concerned voice faded back in as he opened his eyes again.

"Where's Nikki?" Harry mumbled, still drowsy from whatever was keeping the pain at bay.

"Harry, it's Leo. Do you know where you are?" Leo said trying to keep Harry calm.

"Where's Nikki?...is she okay? I need to see her." He whispered.

"She's here, with Janet outside, don't worry. You need to rest; you've been through major surgery but there seems to be no lasting damage. You're very lucky." replied Leo. He heard the door swing and turned to see Nikki's slender figure standing there, her hair cascading over her shoulders and around her face. She brushed her fingers through her hair, and that's when Harry saw them; her deep brown eyes boring into him. He couldn't move even if he wanted too.

"I'll leave you two alone for a moment". He swiftly left the room allowing the two of them to be alone.

Harry smiled as she walked over to his bedside.

"Harry Cunningham, you're such a fool sometimes" breathed Nikki heavily, "but you're my fool". She smiled at him, knowing that not another word had to pass between their lips before she kissed him on the cheek and slipped her hand into his. He gently pulled on her hand bringing her up onto the bed beside him; their hands still clasped tightly as Nikki curled by his side. They lay there in silence and listened to the world go by.

Nikki had allowed the thought of being separated from Harry enter her mind once before when she was attacked; she didn't now. It was an eventuality she was glad she wouldn't have to experience. As she lay there, an sense of numbness continued to consume her, all she could feel was her heart at the centre, aching for Harry who lay there because of her naivety, her desire to constantly do good. Curiosity kills the cat; Nikki was afraid curiosity was going to kill the cat's best friend. But as much as she thought of Harry, she also thought of him. Her mind was never settled, her conscience never resting. Nikki smiled, breathing through the pain clouding her mind.

Harry lay there, with Nikki curled up beside him, not quite ready to let the moment end and closed his eyes, inhaling the glorious scent of his golden haired companion. He allowed it to overwhelm his entire body, the only outward sign being a smile breaking out onto his lips. He hugged her closer to his chest, their embrace tightening. He was never letting her go again. He would always protect her and comfort her, he needed to be okay.

Reunited, Harry tried to let go the thoughts of that night, unknowing that every breath of Nikki's was shadowed by it. For now, she smiled and projected the Nikki that she knew Harry needed to see. She needed him to see that she was okay, so that he could focus on getting better.

"Nikki…How are you doing?" he tested the waters.

"I'm fine…much better than you right now I'm guessing. Surgery for internal bleeding, broken ribs and countless other cuts and bruises; it's certainly a heroic birthday story to tell your mother. She will be proud." She smiled briefly, keeping up the pretence.

The moments passed and although it wasn't his best idea, he wanted to ask it.

"What happened Nikki?" his voice wavered.

"I don't know… the police are looking into it." Nikki breathed. She needed to talk about it to make him think she was okay. "They… think the man is…is someone to do with the post mortem we did this morning. The one on the little girl. I'm so sorry Harry...how are you feeling?" She tried to think of anything other than that night, preventing it from overwhelming her.

"Well it wasn't quite the birthday I was expecting if I'm completely honest" He tried to laugh but the tightness across his chest and what seemed like a broken rib prevented too much laughter. The laughter settled Nikki, knowing that he was able to make jokes under the circumstances meant she had something to keep her going.

Leo and Janet looked on from outside the window into Harry's private bay and sighed a breath of relief, seeing them smiling and laughing with one another. If he hadn't got there when he did, Harry would… He stopped his mind from wandering too far down that road. Janet took hold of his hand, and they turned and started for the door, leaving Nikki and Harry lying together, blissfully unaware that all was not as it seemed.


	15. Chapter 15

A few days later Nikki arrived home after lying with Harry for a few hours. To hear him breathing and see the blood fill his cheeks had left her with a sense of relief, but an even more overwhelming sense of guilt. She couldn't pretend that she wasn't the reason he was lying there. She couldn't understand why such people in the world existed. It was not the first time Nikki had questioned the existence of good and evil. In the blink of an eye, she thought of Doctor Silverlake and his daughter Naomi. She thought she had moved past this phase in her life, but the answers to her questions still eluded her.

The night of the attack, Sarah Barrett's father had stood staring at his young daughter's body, fraught with guilt and desperate for forgiveness from Nikki, from anyone who would listen. But his guilt drove him to anger and violence and when Nikki couldn't understand he could sense that she blamed him for the girl's death. She was right but he didn't want it to be true. How could a man who seemed to love his daughter so much be responsible for her death? How could someone be so conflicted with what is right and wrong? Nikki wanted so much to understand this, she needed to, but to her it was incomprehensible. There was so much chaos in the world and she felt so helpless. When she had woken to see Leo hovering over Harry's body she had feared the worst and however much Nikki wanted to clutch onto his body, willing him to live that night, she was frozen to the spot, unable to move. Her body and mind had closed themselves off from the world and she thought of everything and nothing.

Nikki had gone to the hospital that night to be checked over, but after that she waited for hours to hear of how her best friend was. She conversed with Leo and Janet but the numbness still lay in her heart. For all they knew she was just upset over Harry's predicament, which she was, but it was more than that and she was content that the pretence was working. Nikki wanted to cry, scream and curse all at once, but it was no use for anyone else other than herself, Leo and Janet did not need another victim to look after.

At 10pm Nikki found herself getting into bed as sleep had been escaping her, and after two days her body needed to repair and recuperate. She tried everything to help her drift off, but an hour later sleep continued to evade her. Nikki got up and headed to the lounge where she curled up in a purple and white floral blanket and switched on the television in the hope that the dreariness of late night TV would help her drift off.

Half way through a re-run of _Four Weddings and a Funeral_, Nikki heard someone knock at the door. She ignored it. It was after midnight. It was probably some idiots messing about. The knocking continued.

Nikki unfurled herself from her blanket cocoon and ambled toward the door. Perhaps something was wrong with Harry and Leo had come to tell her. She looked through the peep hole and fell to her knees.

_He_ had come back for her.

She tried to stop herself from crying out in fear, but her crying was enough for him to hear her. He shoved the door once. Nikki scrambled to her feet and reached for the phone, knocking the table lamp over in the process. She dialed 999.


	16. Chapter 16

**I hope you enjoy. I know how this is going to end. I just don't know how far away that is yet :) x**

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><p>A few days later, as the sun streamed into his room, Harry woke up to find Nikki gone. She often lay by his side and usually fell asleep, but he woke to find his bed side empty for the first time in days. Something was up.<p>

He caught a glimpse of Janet through the window on the phone, her expression fraught with concern as she whispered Leo's name. After a few moments failing to lip read the conversation, Janet came over to Harry's bed side. He looked at her waiting for the answer to the question he didn't have to ask.

"It's Nikki, she's…" For one moment, the world slowed, each second of silence punctuated by his breaths. "She's being looked after…Leo's with her now, he thought you should know."

Why was she being looked after? Harry looked at her blankly, confused by Janet's mumblings. He remembered talking to Nikki the other day, she seemed fine.

"What's wrong?" Harry said firmly.

"He came to find her again Harry, Sarah Barrett's father. It seems when he was in the office on that night, he had gone through her desk and found her address. They think that night he was planning to go to her house, but when she arrived at the office he panicked. As soon as she heard his voice at the door last night, trying to get in, she rang the police, but he second guessed her and ran for it. The police are closer to finding him, but not close enough". Janet's expression brought no comfort to Harry.

"I need to see her." Harry began shuffling himself out of bed.

"Harry, I don't think that woul…" exclaimed Janet.

"I need to do something, I need to be with her, please Janet. This is my fault. I should have been on call that night. Nikki should have never been dragged into this and now she's being stalked by the father of that poor child and I'm just lying here feeling sorry for myself." Harry begged as his emotions bubbled to the surface.

"Listen Harry, she may not be as physically damaged as you are, but she's not stable emotionally. And I think the fact that it's you lying there which is making it worse. I'm not sure how she'll react to seeing you" Janet's voice teetered on the brink of breaking.

"But we were lying together the other day, she was fine with me" he exhaled cautiously. But then he remembered on that first day, when they saw each other for the first time since that night in the Lyell Centre, her inability to talk about it. The realisation spread across his face. It was insignificant at the time because he had her there, in his arms once more safe and sound, but she had simply changed the topic and they hadn't discussed the attack since it happened. Nikki was suffering delayed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, amplified by their assailant's recent visit to her. The anxiety started to choke him.

"She loves you, Harry. The combination of the attack and having to watch you lie here, instead of that awful man has rocked any faith she had in this world. It's going to take a long time for her to heal and it won't happen until he's locked up. If you see her, you need to understand this and bare it in mind. She's broken." Janet only meant to protect them both.

Harry lay his head down and stared in to the white abyss above, the echo of Janet's words punctuating his breaths.

"If I'd have been just seconds later, she'd have been dead, I…" exhaling he broke off mid-sentence, Janet could see it was difficult for him to talk about seeing his colleague in distress. Harry didn't hold back any longer, the tears began to stream down his face.

"I know that you love her. I want more than anything for you to be happy. You've been friends for years, but this new relationship has only just started. I hope for your sake and hers that she gets through this. You deserve that much after what you two have been through together." Janet's kindness radiated from the very heart of her being but Harry still felt helpless through it all; he wiped away the tears, unlike the guilt which was coursing through him. However much he wanted to see her, he knew that he needed time to heal and so did Nikki and Janet had assured him that it was best for him to stay exactly where he was.

Janet left with the promise that she would go straight to see Nikki and phone Harry later to tell him how she was doing. He noticed that she had been purposefully vague in her description of Nikki's condition, all he knew was that she wasn't at home and no-one would tell him where she was. Harry presumed it was a safety precaution to stop him from trying to visit her.

He had only just woken but he wanted to dream of her again, he hoped that he would feel close to her again. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep. They had gotten so close and now Harry feared he had lost the one person he needed most.


End file.
